On hot August days, the last thing we crave is a slow-simmered stew or hot-from-the-oven roast. And we’re no longer thrilled to spend every muggy evening sweating over a hot grill.
So what does whet our appetite? Light, unadulterated flavors. Casual, uncomplicated preparations. Cool or room-temperature fare. Fortunately, nature makes that easier for us, for at no other time are the produce bins and seafood cases more plentiful with fresh fixings that need no gilding and little, if any, cooking.
Supplement these seasonal riches with a few high-quality, everyday pantry staples and a little creativity, and you can eat well every day. Here are some ideas to serve four to six.
– Wednesday, Aug. 18: Thai larb. Sounds exotic, but this standby at many Thai restaurants is easy to make: Cooked ground chicken or pork is seasoned with ginger, line juice, fish sauce and a few other seasonings. Diners then scoop up the mixture with ice-cold cabbage leaves. (See recipe.)
– Thursday, Aug. 19: Frogmore stew. This Carolina combo of sausage, shrimp, corn and new potatoes is little more than tossing ingredients in a pot and cooks in a flash–great for a family meal or casual get-together. Make extra shrimp so you can eat them cold the next day. (See recipe.)
– Friday, Aug. 20: Tuna and white bean salad. Dump cans of drained tuna and white kidney beans (or cannellini) in a bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of minced red onion, a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Serve over lettuce.
– Saturday, Aug. 21: Cold Lithuanian beet soup. This invigorating soup can convert the most steadfast beet-hater. Shred or dice 3 medium-size cooked beets (or substitute canned). Combine in a large bowl with 2 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup water, 5 thinly sliced green onions, 1 peeled, seeded and diced cucumber, 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill and salt and pepper to taste. Chill. Serve with pumpernickel bread. Makes about a quart.
– Sunday, Aug. 22: Hummus-stuffed pitas. You can buy the ready-made chickpea-tahini spread in most any supermarket deli section (usually with the imported cheeses) these days. Tuck it into pita halves with a few tomato slices, cucumber rounds or a handful of sprouts.
– Monday, Aug. 23: Asian-flavored rice salad: Use leftover rice as you would pasta for any number of cool combos like this one: Mix cooked rice with sliced green onions, shredded carrots, fresh bean sprouts, sliced water chestnuts or julienned jicama, chopped celery and chopped cilantro, if desired. For a heartier salad, add bits of cooked chicken, shrimp or crab meat. Toss with and a bottled lemon-grass vinaigrette or a cilantro-lime dressing.
– Monday, Aug. 24: Steamed mussels. Here’s the simplest method: Place a pound of scrubbed, debearded mussels in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put about an inch or two of water or white wine in a pot, cover and cook over high heat until mussels open, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and Caesar salad from a bag.
– Tuesday, Aug. 25: Steak salad. Grill or pan-fry a filet mignon. Meanwhile, place some salad greens in a large bowl. Add chopped tomatoes and a handful of crumbled blue cheese. Slice the steak and add it to the salad, drizzle with a mustardy vinaigrette and toss. Add a few grindings of black pepper. (Leftover sliced potatoes are an excellent addition.)
– Thursday, Aug. 26: Cottage cheese sandwich. Spread raisin, seven-grain, oatmeal or other hearty bread with low-fat cottage cheese. Add grated carrots, slivered bell pepper, chopped green onions and a sprinkle of ground cumin.
– Friday, Aug. 27: Summer squash skillet. A quick saute of these garden staples–along with chopped tomatoes, sliced onions, garlic and herbs–can move from side dish to centerpiece if you toss on a generous handful of grated Parmesan before serving. (See recipe).
– Saturday, Aug. 28: Grilled grouper sandwich. A lighter alternative to burgers: Brush grouper steaks with a little oil, season with salt and pepper and grill (or broil) about 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork. Serve on sesame seed buns with lettuce and tomato slices and tartar sauce. Accompany with pickled okra spears.
– Sunday, Aug. 29: Pork and butter bean stir fry. Use fresh butter beans from the garden or frozen ones. In a large skillet, saute in a tablespoon of vegetable oil 1 small sliced onion and 1 minced garlic clove until soft. Stir in 3 or 4 cups of cooked butter beans and a cup of diced cooked ham. Heat through, remove from the stove and sprinkle with chopped mint or basil.
– Monday, Aug.30: Black bean and corn salad in tortillas. In a bowl, combine equal parts canned black beans (drained and minced) and corn kernels (fresh shucked or frozen, thawed) along with a generous dollop of good-quality salsa, a sprinkle of olive oil and vinegar and a few dashes of cumin. Place generous mounds on lettuce-lined corn or flour tortillas, top with a spoonful of yogurt and roll up.
– Tuesday, Aug. 31: Salmon and peas (or spinach): Microwave them together in a pie plate, drizzle with a vinaigrette or flavored mayo and accompany with corn on the cob–either microwaved or boiled. Presto! You’ve got a sophisticated dinner for two–plus a cool and clean kitchen.
SUMMER SQUASH SKILLET
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
A summery side dish to any simple entree, this easy saute can also be a light meal in itself, with some good bread or corn bread. You could also toss it with pasta. From “Discover Dinnertime,” by Susan Dosier and Julia Dowling Rutland.
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, quartered, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced
2 yellow squash, sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese
1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; cook, stirring often, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow squash. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5-8 minutes.
2. Stir in tomatoes, basil, thyme and salt. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 115 Fat ………… 9 g Saturated fat … 5 g
% calories from fat .. 63 Cholesterol .. 20 mg Sodium ……. 510 mg
Carbohydrates ……. 7 g Protein …….. 5 g Fiber ……… 1.4 g
FROGMORE STEW
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
This Carolina classic is casual summer eating at its best. Halve or double the recipe depending on the number of diners; spread out newspapers on the table and put a bowl in the middle for tossing the shrimp shells as you peel and eat them.
4 quarts water
2 ribs celery, cut in 2-inch pieces, optional
1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 medium or 8 small red-skinned potatoes
4 ears corn, husked, cut in half
3/4 pound chorizo or other spicy smoked sausage, cut in 2-inch lengths
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1. Combine water, celery, Old Bay seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes in large stockpot. Heat to boil over high heat; cook 5 minutes. Skim any foam that rises to top.
2. Add potatoes; cook just until fork-tender, 10-20 minutes depending on size of potatoes. Add corn and sausage; cook 3-5 minutes. Add shrimp. Cook until pink and opaque, 1-2 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 610 Fat ………… 26 g Saturated fat .. 9 g
% calories from fat .. 38 Cholesterol .. 380 mg Sodium …. 3,310 mg
Carbohydrates …… 44 g Protein …….. 51 g Fiber ………. 5 g
THAI CHICKEN (LARB GAI)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 pound ground breast of chicken, see note 1/4 cup water
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece (1/2-inch thick) ginger root, peeled, minced
Juice of 2 limes
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Garnishes:
2 tablespoons green onions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
Chopped mint sprigs
1 fresh red chili, julienned
Cabbage or lettuce leaves
1. Cook ground chicken in water in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, adding additional water as needed to prevent scorching until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain; transfer to large bowl.
2. Stir in shallot, garlic, ginger, lime juice, fish sauce, cilantro and pepper flakes. Garnish with green onions, peanuts, chopped mint and chili. Serve with cabbage leaves for scooping.
Note: Turkey, pork or beef can be substituted for chicken.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 185 Fat ………… 5 g Saturated fat .. 1.1 g
% calories from fat .. 25 Cholesterol .. 70 mg Sodium …… 1,080 mg
Carbohydrates ……. 7 g Protein ……. 27 g Fiber ………. 0.8 g
